This is an introduction to the eLearning Team. Many people may be involved in the process of creating your eLearning materials and making them available to a specified audience. Roles may overlap and be performed by the same person, as some roles are interrelated and interdependent.
Depending on the size of the eLearning project a small team of a few people may be all that is necessary. Other larger projects may require a larger team with more specialised or dedicated roles.
Different team members and team groups should be in contact with each during various stages on a regular basis.
Basics
The eLearning process can be divided into two major phases:
- content development, and
- content delivery and maintenance.
A typical eLearning process has
- planning,
- design,
- development,
- evaluation,
- delivery, and
- maintenance stages.
Teams
Planning team – will plan content development and produce a project plan.
Design team – will design the content development process and produce a storyboard or rapid prototype.
Production team – will develop the actual content and learning materials.
Evaluation team – will oversee evaluation of content development and provide revised materials.
Delivery team – is responsible for the delivery of the content which has been developed and will then perform the roles of
Instructional team
Learner support services
Administrative services
Marketing team
Stakeholders – make the investment on eLearning projects, provide feedback on the project and give the approval.
Individual roles & responsibilities
Khan (2004) of Khan Academy developed a table of individual eLearning roles and responsibilities that people might take in a project. He notes
“the roles of individuals and their general responsibilities listed in are by no means complete. The titles used for various e-learning are not to suggest that an e-learning institution must create such specific positions; rather, the intention is to describe the roles and responsibilities required for e-learning projects.”
| Role of Individual | Responsibilities |
| Director |
Directs e-learning initiatives. Develops e-learning plans and strategies. |
| Project Manager | Supervises the overall e-learning process, including: design, production, delivery, evaluation, budgeting, staffing, and scheduling. Works with coordinators of various e-learning teams. |
| Business Developer | Develops business plan, marketing plan, and promotion plan. Coordinates internal and external strategic partnerships. |
| Consultant/ Advisor |
Provides independent, expert advice and services during various stages of e-learning. |
| Content Development Process | |
| Research and Design Coordinator |
Coordinates e-learning research and design processes. Informs management and design teams about the latest data pertaining to online learning activities and research. |
| Content or Subject Matter Expert |
Writes course contents and reviews existing course materials (if any) for accuracy and currency. |
| Instructional Designer |
Provides consultation on instructional strategies and techniques for e-learning contents and resources. Helps select delivery format and assessment strategies for e-learning. |
| Interface Designer |
Responsible for site design, navigation, accessibility, and usability testing. Responsible for reviewing interface design and content materials to be compliant with national accessibility guidelines. |
| Copyright Coordinator |
Provides advisement on intellectual property issues relevant to e-learning. Responsible for negotiating permission to use copyrighted materials including articles, books chapters, videos, music, animations, graphics, Web pages, etc., from copyright holders. |
| Evaluation Specialist |
Responsible for evaluation and assessment design and methodology. Conducts and manages student assessment and evaluation of e-learning environments. |
| Production Coordinator | Coordinates e-learning production process. |
| Course Integrator |
Responsible for getting all pieces of e-learning (e.g., Web pages, chat rooms, Java applets, e-commerce, etc.) working together under a learning management system. |
| Programmer |
Programs e-learning lessons following the storyboard created in the design process. |
| Editor |
Reviews e-learning materials for clarity, consistency of style, grammar, spelling, appropriate references, and copyright information. |
| Graphic Artist | Uses creativity and style to design graphical images for e-learning lessons. |
| Multimedia Developer |
Responsible for creating multimedia learning objects, such as audio, video, 2D/3D animations, simulations, etc. |
| Photographer/ Videographer | Responsible for photography and video related to e-learning contents. |
| Learning Objects Specialist |
Guides the design, production, and meaningful storage of learning objects by following internationally recognized standards (e.g., SCORM, AICC, IEEE, etc.). |
| Quality Assurance | Responsible for quality control in e-learning. |
| Pilot Subjects | Participates in e-learning pilot testing. |
| Delivery Coordinator | Coordinates the implementation of e-learning courses and resources. |
| Content Delivery and Maintenance Process | |
| Systems Administrator | Administers LMS server, user accounts, and network security. |
| Server/Database Programmer | Responsible for server and database related programming especially for tracking and recording learners’ activities. |
| Online Course Coordinator | Coordinates the instructional and support staff for online courses. |
| Instructor(or Trainer) | Teaches online courses. |
| Instructor Assistant | Assists the instructor or trainer in instruction. |
| Tutor | Assists learners in learning tasks. |
| Discussion Facilitator or Moderator | Moderates and facilitates online discussions. |
| Customer Service | Provides generic help and points to appropriate support services based on specific needs of customers (i.e., learners). |
| Technical Support Specialist | Provides both hardware- and software-related technical help. |
| Library Services | Interactive library services for learners who can ask questions to librarians about their research, both asynchronous and in real time via the Internet. |
| Counselling Services | Provides guidance on study skills, self-discipline, responsibility for own learning, time management and stress management, etc. |
| Administrative Services | Administrative services include admission, schedules, etc. |
| Registration Services | Responsible for efficient and secure registration process for e-learning. |
| Marketing | Responsible for marketing e-learning offerings. |
Now that you are more familiar with who’s involved in creating your eLearning solution, you’ll understand that behind every successful eLearning project is a winning eLearning team.
Sound Idea Digital specialises in Learning Management Systems and eLearning development | soundidealearningmanagement.co.za
Sandra is an eLearning Specialist & Content Editor for Sound Idea Digital |sandra@soundidea.co.za
To cite this blog article:
Slabbert, S. 2016, February 7. The eLearning Team. <ideas> the official Sound Idea Digital blog [Web log post]. Available: http://blog.soundidea.co.za/articles/The_eLearning_Team-446.html
Source:
Khan, B. H. 2004, September-October. People, process and product continuum in e-learning: The e-learning P3 model. Educational Technology. 44(5): 33-40.
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